QC airport flies high in January, despite weather
The Quad Cities Airport saw the most passengers in January since the pre-pandemic January 2020, despite winter storms that resulted in system-wide cancellations.
January 2024 saw a 7 percent increase of total passengers over January 2023, with American Airlines making the biggest jump in passengers inbound and outbound of the Quad Cities. American Airlines increased their market share by 12 points (37% of all January flights, compared to 25% in 2023), thanks to daily service to Charlotte that began Dec. 20, 2023.
“An overwhelming number of regional airports still have fewer flights today than prior to the pandemic, including MLI, but January’s activity shows that as airlines add capacity back to our market, we can fill planes,” Ashleigh Davis, public relations and marketing manager at the Quad Cities International Airport, Moline, said in a Wednesday release. “Demand in the Quad Cities is strong, particularly for American Airlines’ new daily service to Charlotte. We hope this will give airlines confidence to continue investing in our market.”
The 45,309 total passengers in January is the highest since 2020, compared to the following years:
- January 2023: 43,092
- January 2022: 38,613
- January 2021: 23,531
- January 2020: 54,033
The QC airport experienced growth prior to the pandemic. However, the extended global decline in travel caused the biggest disruption to commercial aviation in its history. As a result, the looming pilot shortage was exacerbated by early retirements and resignations, some regional carriers folded, new strategies were deployed, and new carriers emerged, the airport release said.
Delta, which used to have the largest market share in the Quad Cities, retired all 50-seat aircraft in their fleet and took a unique approach to recovery compared to other legacy carriers.
In addition to strong traffic in January, typically one of the slowest air travel months of the year, Allegiant Air also extended service to Phoenix/Mesa throughout the summer. For the past several years, it was a seasonal offering, pausing service between May-October.
“In addition to working with our current airline partners to advocate for increased frequency and service, we believe there is opportunity for new airline partners to enter our market as well,” said Davis. “Airlines decide when and where to add service but we are continually evolving our approach to advocacy and data collection so we can tell the best possible story about our region and travel needs.”
For more information, visit the airport website HERE.
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